Accessing ARV information

ARV is responsible for the management, development, promotion, and use of Victoria’s six alpine resorts: Falls Creek, Lake Mountain, Mt Baw Baw, Mt Buller, Mt Hotham, and Mt Stirling, consistent with the object of the Alpine Resorts (Management) Act 1997.

Delivering safe, reliable, and high-quality essential services, including water, waste, sewerage, energy, and roads, continues to be our core priority to enable what is largely the commercial sector to enhance these special destinations with world class tourism and recreation services.

ARV is a statutory authority that reports to the Minister for Environment and is subject to the general direction and control of the Minister. ARV is a body corporate and is considered a public body for the purposes of the Financial Management Act 1994 (FMA).

The establishment of ARV brings the management of the resorts together into one organisation and supersedes the Alpine Resort Management Boards to build the economic resilience of the sector, streamline operations across the resorts where possible and coordinate their response to challenges.

ARV handles the following types of documents.

• policies, procedures and standards
• briefings and reports
• registers
• correspondence
• applications, licences and permits
• meeting records
• financial records
• audio visual material

Documents are categorised into three areas of Resort Operations, Corporate Services, or Assets, Land Management and Strategic Development.

Resort Operations

• Activities (summer and winter)
• Car parking and transit services
• Energy/ Utilities
• Hard waste and recycling
• Hospitality, including accommodation, dining and nightlife
• Individual permits (vehicle, dog, drone, fireworks etc)
• Post office, childcare, museums, nursery
• Potable water, sewerage and storm water
• Public open space and play spaces
• Roads and transportation
• Snow making
• Ski patrol
• Trail cams and weather reports

Corporate Services

• Administration
• Airspace management (drone, plane and helicopter)
• Audits
• Compliance Management
• Emergency management, fire safety and disaster recovery
• Finance
• Freedom Of Information
• Government and Industry Policy
• Human Resources
• Industry Protection
• Investment Strategy and Planning
• Insurance
• Information Technology
• Legal
• Organisational Development
• Statutory Authorities

Assets, Land Management and Strategic Development

• Business operations, economics and resort development
• Catchment Management and Regional water sector
• Destination marketing and events
• Environmental and cultural management
• Forestry, Parks, Flora & Fauna, Pest Plants & Animals
• Intergovernmental & International Relations
• Land Management
• Media Relations, Publications and Stakeholder Management
• Operator leases and licences
• Parliamentary
• Public health and liquor licensing
• Research and Strategic Policy
• Statutory Planning and Building requirements and permits

ARV produces a wide range of publications, many of which can be accessed from our website.  Some our commonly sought documents are listed below.

Legislation that is relevant to ARV:

• Alpine Resorts (Management) Act 1997
• Alpine Resorts (Management) Regulations 2020
• Crown Land (Reserves) (Southern Alpine Resorts) Regulations 2020
• Conservation, Forests and Lands (Infringement Notice) Regulations 2023
  • Schedule 2
  • Items 161-162 of Schedule 4

ARV Board and Governance:

• Minister’s Letter of Expectations
• Board and Sub-Committees
• Stakeholder consultative committees
  • Falls Creek Stakeholder Consultative Committee
  • Mt Stirling Stakeholder Consultative Committee
  • Mt Buller Stakeholder Consultative Committee
  • Mt Hotham Stakeholder Consultative Committee
  • Mt Baw Baw Stakeholder Consultative Committee
  • Lake Mountain Stakeholder Consultative Committee
• Strategic Plan
• Corporate Plan

Key structures and functions of ARV: Organisational Chart

ARV Overview: Department Overview

ARV Annual Reports: Annual Reports

Policies: ARV Policies

Under the FOI Act, individuals have a right of access to documents held by ARV.

To access documents under the FOI Act, a request needs to be made in writing to ARV and accompanied by an application fee.

Your request for documents should be as specific as possible to enable a search to be conducted. Please ensure you have stated the type of document(s) you are seeking (such as ‘planning permit’, ‘report’ or ‘letters’) and avoid phrases like ‘all documents’ or ‘any records’.

A request can be lodged via email at foi@alpineresorts.vic.gov.au

Telephone enquiries can be made on 0499 111 403.

The Office of the Victorian Information Commissioner provides this handy resource for individuals seeking to find and request information.

Fees and charges

Application Fee

At the time of making the FOI request, you must pay a prescribed application fee of $32.70. This enables us to assess your application and decide how we can proceed.  This fixed cost is non-refundable.

Application fee waiver

You can request the application fee to be waived upon evidence of financial hardship.  Provide a copy of your Low Income Health Care Card issued by Services Australia and we will assess your eligibility of a fee waiver.

Access Charges

ARV is also entitled to charge prescribed fees associated with searching for and providing access to the documents. A summary of charges is as follows:

• search time - $24.50 per hour or part of an hour
• photocopying - $0.20 per A4 black and white page
• supervision time if the Applicant inspects the document - $24.50 per hour or part of an hour

If the estimated charges exceed $50.00, we will ask you if you want to continue with the request and ask you to pay a deposit.

Proof of Authority

If you ask for documents on behalf of another person about their personal affairs, we may ask you for a signed authority from that person.

If you ask for documents about your personal affairs, we may ask you to provide proof of your identity.